Enginehouse

The latest addition to the Frazier Borate mini-layout is the Clever Models Backwoods Engine Shack, which is just the right size for my Bachmann Porter.

It's got some flaws, but I have to say, I feel like it looks pretty darn good. Part of it is that the color scheme works really well with the grey, tan and rust scenic palette of the Frazier Borate layout. I wish I could say I planned it that way.

Work on this was spread out over about six weeks, with time off for a couple of other projects. I didn't keep track of how many hours, but I'd guess something over 30.

As usual, I made some changes to the kit as I went along. Here's a picture from the Clever Models web site of the original version:

Whimsical details like the antlers over the door and the barrels on the roof drew me to this kit. There is nothing wrong with whimsy -- On30 layouts tend to be whimsical, which is part of the attraction -- but I worried that it was maybe too whimsical; as designed, it has, at least for me, a kind of New England, deep woods feel, rather than a high desert, Western mining feel.

The walls are a three-layer sandwich, with the normal kit walls in 110 pound card on the outside and "Plywood and Studs" texture on the inside. I found that some light showed through, even with two layers of 110 pound card, so I added a layer of beige file folder cardstock in between, just in case I decide to add lighting. The battens are cut individually from 110 pound stock, which took many hours of work. The window sash and some other fine detail parts are 65 pound stock.

The first change was the side (personnel) door. In its original position next to the window on the right side, I couldn't figure out where that door went to -- it's two feet above ground level, so there would have to be a catwalk or something inside with steps down to ground level, and there just isn't much space inside. Also, the door is 8 feel tall, which is about a foot or a foot and a half taller than normal personnel doors. So I imported the other side (the left, as you look at the main entrance doors) into Inkscape, flipped it, and printed it, giving me a right side with a window but no door. Then I printed a copy of the door at 85%, which brought it down to about 7 feet. I also tweaked the color settings on my printer to make it more yellow, to better match the window frames and sashes. I installed that on the lean-to section, and installed a floor inside to make the lean-to an elevated shop or office area. I might add some interior detailing in that area eventually, though it's not a high priority -- you can't see inside that part of the building without removing the roof.

I relocated the door, made it smaller, and tweaked the color settings on my printer to make it come out yellowish, to more closely match the windows.

I wanted to install the foundation permanently on the layout, set into the landscape, and I was afraid the cardstock foundation wouldn't hold up well with water-based scenery processes. So I carved a new foundation from EPS foam, using the same technique as the retaining wall behind the engine house: I printed the Clever Models foundation on plain paper, glued it lightly to the foam, and then used it as a carving pattern. I painted the foundation similar to the retaining wall with craft store acrylics in Ivory, Black, and Grey, glued it to the base, and added "dirt" and ballast around it.

From the start, I considered changing from a shingled roof to corrugated metal, which seemed more in keeping with my Western mining theme. What it came down to was, when I got the walls done and the rafters in place, I was anxious to be done -- I'd spent many hours cutting and applying all those battens. To make the shingled roof look good would mean hours of notching individual shingles to get the rough-hewn appearance that is part of the building's charm, and that just didn't seem appealing. I thought about using the same 3D corrugated paper material that I used on the mine office, and I think I had some left over from that project, but I couldn't find it. Rather than order another package and wait for it to arrive, I downloaded Clever Models Rusty Corrugated texture sheet, and used that to make a quick roof, with the kit underlayment under it. I made it removable, so if I decide to change it later I can, but the fact is, it looks good enough that I probably won't bother, at least not anytime soon.

I added the main doors, open of course, and the smoke stack. For the stack, I glued the kit "sheet metal" material around part of the shaft of a cheap stick-type ballpoint pen.

The white spot at the base of the stack is a reflection off some stray ACC from when I glued the stack in place. I'll hit it with some clear flat and maybe dry-brush some grime.

The kit comes with some rather plain steps to reach the door, but I wanted something more interesting, so I borrowed step and platform pieces from the Clever Models Elevated Crossing Shanty (one of their freebies) and built a short stair and landing, which came out pretty nicely.

It needs some details, bits of machinery, and general clutter, and I just realized the windows still need "glass," but I'm satisfied with the building  for now. You have to look pretty closely to realize that it's cardstock -- I think it compares favorably to a laser-cut wood building, and for a fraction of the price.